The present invention relates to an assembly of a pole element or handle and an end attachment or tool fixture which is frictionally-engaged by the end of the pole or handle. More particularly, the invention relates to hand tools such as gaffs, spears, harpoons, boat hooks, or other similar marine tools, animal snares or other hand-held assemblies which conventionally include apole element such as a handle and an end attachment element such as a tool which is designed for engagement with an object such as an animal or thing.
The invention is particularly concerned with improved flying gaffs comprising a pole element and a gaffing hook which is releasably attached to the pole and which is connected to a line. In use, the gaffing hook is either connected to the pole by a weak attachment means or is held over the end of the pole by the line which is held by the user. The object is to retain the gaffing hook on the end of the pole so that the hook can be extended in to the water into position beneath a large fish to be gaffed. At this point the pole and/or the hand-held line is yanked in to cause the hook to penetrate the skin of the fish and snare the fish on the gaff. This causes the gaff to become detached from the pole so that the fish is now held by the line, the end of which is generally secured to the boat to permit the the end of which is generally secured to the boat to permit the user to release his grip on the line if the fish is too large to be controlled by a hand-held line.
An important problem encountered with conventional flying gaffs is the difficulty of sinking the gaff hook into fish of different sizes and types. The toughness of the skin of a fish varies greatly with the type of the fish and its size. Some fish, such as sharks, have tough skin which is difficult to pierce. If the yanking force applied by the user causes the gaffing tool to separate from the pole before the gaffing hook can penetrate the skin of the fish, the fish is not snared and can escape. Conversely, if the gaffing tool cannot be separated from the pole, when or after the fish is secured on the gaffing hook, the pole will be pulled into the water if the user is unable to control the fish on the end of the pole.
Another important problem encountered with other types of conventional pole element assemblies designed for manual use such as boat hooks, animal snares, etc., relates to the danger of personal injury and/or loss of the assembly due to the inability of the user to overcome the pulling force of the object which is engaged by the attachment element on the pole element, i.e., a calf, a boat, etc. In an effort to control the object, the user can incur physical injury or be pulled into the ocean or lose grip on the pole assembly whereby the assembly can be lost together with control of the object.
Some of these problems can be avoided by releasably securing the attachment element to the pole element so that the attachment element separates from the pole element under the effects of an axial pulling force, and by having a line tied to the attachment element so that the attachment element, and the object engaged thereby, can be retrieved. The main disadvantage of such releasable securement is that it is not adjustable. In the case of a flying gaff, securement which might be strong enough to enable the gaff hook to be sunk into fish of one type or size may not be strong enough in the case of fish having tougher skins. In the case of other assemblies, such as boat hooks, animal snares, etc., it is desirable that the tool attachment should remain attached to the pole so that the user can control the object, such as a boat or a calf, with the assembly. An unduly weak releasable securement between the tool and the pole converts the pole element from being a control device to being a mere extension element which permits the attachment to be secured to the object. Control is lost when the pole element and attachment element become separated and control is regained when the pole is dropped and the line is taken in hand. This is an improvement over personal injury and/or loss of the assembly and total loss of control of the object. However, it is unsatisfactory in practice because the primary purpose of some hand-held pole assemblies, such as boat hooks and animal snares, is to enable the user to take quick and release-resistant control so as to permit a boat to be pulled close to a dock without any loss of control, even though temporary, since such loss of control results in delay and inconvenience.
While the functional operation of certain pole assemblies differs, i.e., the tool element and the pole of a flying gaff are intended to separate during normal use while the tool element and the pole of a boat hook are not intended to separate during normal use, the desirability of controlling the strength of attachment between the tool and the pole to prevent separation under the effects of certain axial pulling forces and to permit separation under the effects of greater axial pulling forces is common to these different types of pole assemblies.